Strip supporting device



y 1956 M- v. HAMILTON ET AL 2,745,663

STRIP SUPPORTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 14, 1953 FEB :4 i M me 0 mo m J m%#@ 0 I j 6 l6 2, Z M W N i a r W T 5 fl Mg y M t 6 -f J Q Q w 7 .L 1, y

y 1956 M v. HAMILTON ET AL 2,745,663

STRIP SUPPORTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Aug. 14, 1953 I jy w Mm m P BE m 5 United States Patent STRIP SUPPORTING DEVICE Merriil V. Hamilton and Morris E. Hoop, Gary, Ind., assignors to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application August 14, 1953, Serial No. 374,262

6 Claims. (Cl. 271-21) The present invention relates generally to the processing of continuous metal strip and more particularly to a device for supporting strip advancing in a horizontal plane during processing.

The present invention finds practical application in the processing of steel strip for continuous electro-tinning, and in that application we shall, in an exemplary way, describe it.

In the manufacture of tin plate by the continuous electro-tinning method, the steel strip is, in most instances, temper rolled and then side trimmed to finished width immediately before being placed on the tinning line. After temper rolling, the strip is coiled under tension and delivered to the side trimming units. At the side trimming units, the strip is uncoiled, run through pairs of rotary knives and recoiled. While being side trimmed, the strip is maintained under tension and is recoiled under tension so as to prevent collapse of the coil when it is removed from the side trimmer block and transferred to the tinning line. In order that the strip be side trimmed accurately, it is necessary that it be supported along the greater part of its width as it travels between the rotary knives of the side trimming unit. This is necessary to eliminate any possibility of a buckle or other distortion forming in the strip and detrimentally affecting the accuracy of the side trimming operation. Prior to our invention, various means have been tried for supporting the strip while being trimmed, such as providing a stationary concave surfaced skid under the advancing strip as it moved through the side trimmer. However, none of these devices up to the time of our invention proved entirely satisfactory. We propose to maintain the advancing strip in a stationary horizontal plane during the trimming operation by means of a supporting device comprised of a multiple roll supported in a three point suspended saddle.

It is, accordingly, an object of our invention to provide a strip support which includes a strip support roll consisting of a plurality of discs rotatably mounted on a stationary shaft carried by a saddle which is adapted to maintain the roll in a stationary horizontal plane.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a device of the character described in the object above which is inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction and which may be easily installed between the pairs of rotary trimming knives of a side trimming machine.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line IIlI of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view with parts omitted for clarity looking toward the left of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the left end of the device relative to Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V--V of Figure l.

ice

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 designates a base having an upstanding bracket 4 welded or otherwise attached thereto adjacent one end. The bracket 4 is provided with a transverse hole 6 therethrough. A pair of spaced angular vertically extending brackets 8 are bolted or otherwise rigidly attached to the opposite end of the base 2. Brackets 8 project upwardly and angularly away from the base 2 and support a rigid transverse shaft 10 which extends between the upper portions of brackets.

A saddle frame 12 is supported by brackets 4 and 8 in a manner to be described and consists of a pair of angularly elongated side members 14 held together by means of cross plates 16 and an end plate 18. Each side member 14 is formed with three integral sections 20, 22 and 24. Section 20 extends substantially parallel with the base 2, adjoining section 22 extends upwardly at an angle of approximately 30 from the base and connects with section 24 which extends substantially parallel with the base in a higher plane than section 20. A pair of aligned slots 26 are provided in the forward end 27 of the saddle 12 to engage the shaft 10 so that the forward end of the saddle is pivotally supported by the shaft 10. One of the side plates 14 is provided with an elongated vertical slot 28 adjacent the rearward end 29 of the saddle which is adapted to communicate with the hole 6 in the bracket 4 when the forward end of the saddle is supported on the shaft 10. The side member having the elongated slot 28 therein is adjustably afiixed to the bracket 4 by nut and bolt means 30 as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5.

A transverse plate 32 having a threaded vertical hole 34 therethrough intermediate its ends is attached to and extends between the side members 14 at approximately the center of sections 20 thereof. An adjusting bolt 36 is threaded into the hole 34 and is adapted to project an adjustable distance below the plate 32 and rest on the base 2. Bolt 36 is provided with a locking nut 38 so that it may be locked into adjusted position.

The junctions of sections 22 and 24 of each of the side members 14 are provided with a vertical extending enlargement 40 which is provided with aligned slots 42 for receiving the rigid shaft 44 of a strip supporting roll 46. The roll 46 is made up of a plurality of discs 48 which are rotatably mounted on shaft 44 by means of ball bearings 50. The discs 48 may be made of fiber or other suitable material which will not scratch or otherwise mar the surface of strip passing thereover. The discs 48 are divided into three spaced sections 52, 54 and 56. Although we have shown sections 52 and 56 as made up of three discs and section 24 made up of six discs, it will be noted that the number of discs in each section may be varied as desired. The portions of the shaft between sections 52 and 54 and between sections 54 and 56 are provided with vertical slots 58 which fit into the slots 42 of the saddle 12.

In operation, the strip supporting device of our invention is installed by means of bolts 60, or other suitable fastenings, between the pairs of rotary side trimming knives 62 and 64 of a conventional side trimmer 66. The supporting device is positioned in such a manner that the upper surface of the roll 46 is slightly above the plane of the cutting juncture of the two pairs of rotary knives. In order to properly adjust the roll 46 in this position, nut and bolt means 30 are loosened and the bolt 36 is adjustably threaded in the hole 34 until the circumference of the roll 46 is slightly above the pass line of the side trimmer. When the roll 46 is properly positioned, the nut 38 is tightened on the bolt 36 and the nut and bolt means 30 are again tightened. After being properly adjusted, the roll 46 provides support across the greater portion of the width of the strip W as it passes between the knives of the side trimmer. Thus, the strip is maintained in a straight position so that an accurate trim can he made on each edge.

While one embodiment of our invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A device for supporting strip as defined by claim 3 characterized by said saddle having a pair of aligned slots in its upper edge for engaging the shaft of said roll, and a pair of aligned slots in its lower edge for engaging said rigid shaft.

2. A device for supporting elongated strip at the cutting point as it passes through a pair of rotary edgetrirnming shears'disposed coaxially, said device comprising a base disposed beneath the path of strip travel and between said shears, a pair of spaced brackets projecting upwardly from said base adjacent one end thereof, a shaft supported by and extending rigidly between said pair of brackets transverse to the direction of strip travel, a roll saddle frame having spaced side members each pivotally supported adjacent one end on said shaft, a transverse plate extending between said side members adjacent the end of said saddle remote from its pivotally supported end, said transverse plate having a threaded vertical hole therethrough intermediate its ends, an adjusting bolt threaded through said last mentioned hole with one end projecting downwardly from said transverse plate to engage said base and thereby adjustably support said saddle,

a bracket projecting upwardly from said base adjacent the end of said saddle remote from its pivotally supported end, means adjustably connecting said bracket and said remote end of said saddle for locking the latter in adjusted position, and an idler roll carried by said saddle intermediate the ends thereof between said shears and trans verse to the direction of strip travel.

3. A device for supporting elongated strip at the cutting pointras it passes through a pair of rotary edge-trimming shears disposed coaxially, said device comprising a base disposed beneath the path of strip travel and between said shears, a bracket having a transverse hole therethrough projecting upwardly from said base adjacent one end thereof, a pair of spaced brackets projecting upwardly from said base adjacent the opposite end thereof, a shaft rigidly supported by and extending transversely between said pair of spaced brackets, a roll saddle frame including a pair of spaced elongated side members and a plurality of transverse plate members attached to and extending from one side member to the other, one of said side members having an elongated vertical slot therethrough adjacent its end, the end of said saddle remote from said elongated slot being supported by said shaft with each of said side members pivotally engaging said shaft, said slotted side member being disposed adjacent said first mentioned bracket with said elongated slot communicating with the hole in said bracket, one of said transverse plate members adjacent said elongated slot having a threaded vertical hole therethrough intermediate its ends, an adjusting bolt threaded through said last mentioned hole with one end thereof projecting downwardly from said transverse plate to engage said base and thereby adjus-tably support said saddle, locking bolt means extending through the hole in said first mentioned bracket and said slot for locking said saddle in adjusted position, and an idler roll carried by said saddle intermediate the ends thereof between said shears and transverse to the direction of strip travel.

4. A device for supporting elongated strip as defined in claim 3 characterized by said idler roll including a plurality of roller sections of uniform diameter rotatably mounted on a rigid shaft, said rigid shaft having a pair of vertical slots therein in the portions thereof between said roller sections for engaging the roll supporting slots in the upper edge of the saddle.

5. A device for supporting elongated strip as defined by claim 4 characterized by said roller sections having strip contacting peripheries of non-abrasive material.

6. A device for supporting strip advancing in a horizontal plane comprising a base, a bracket having a transverse hole therethrough projecting upwardly from said base adjacent one end thereof, a pair of spaced brackets projecting upwardly from said base adjacent the opposite end thereof, a shaft rigidly supported by and extending transversely between said pair of spaced brackets, a roll saddle frame including a pair of spaced elongated side members and a plurality of transverse plate members attached to and extending from one side member to the other, one of said side members having an elongated vertical slot therethrough adjacent its end, the end of said saddle remote from said elongated slot being pivotally supported by said shaft and said slotted side member'being disposed adjacent said first mentioned bracket with said elongated slot communicating with the hole in said bracket, bolt means extending through said hole and said slot for adjustably supporting said saddle, one of said transverse plate members adjacent said elongated slot having a threaded vertical hole therethrough intermediate its ends, an adjusting bolt threaded through said last mentioned hole with one end thereof projecting downwardly from said transverse plate to engage said base and thereby adjustably support said saddle, and a strip supporting roll rotatively carried by said saddle intermediate its ends and transversely to the longitudinal axis of said saddle, said saddle having a pair of aligned slots in its upper edge and a pair of aligned slots in its lower edge for engaging said rigid shaft, said strip supporting roll including a plurality of discs of uniform diameter made of non-abrasive material rotatably mounted on a shaft, said discs being mounted on said last-mentioned shaft in a series of groups f discs with a space separating each group, the shaft. of said roll having a pair of vertical slots therein in the portions thereof between said groups of discs for engaging the roll supporting slots in the upper edge of said saddle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wills Mar. 31, 1953 

